Ohio State-Penn State history

Rivalry leaderboard

Ohio State-Penn State Greatest Games

The series' top 25 meetings, ranked without team allegiance by game-time AP strength, final-score closeness, and overtime.

Games
25
Top score
78/100
Overtime
1

Series context

Completed meetings
40
Series record
Ohio State 26-14 Penn State
Tracked years
1912-2024
Trophy
No named trophy

Series ranking

The rivalry's top 25 games

25 of these games include at least one AP-ranked team at kickoff. Open a supported game for its box score and statistics.

  1. 1997Week 8

    Ohio State at Penn State

    Ohio State 27, Penn State 31

    Winner: Penn State

    No. 7 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Penn State · 4-point margin

    Ranking 43/50 · Closeness 31/35 · Overtime 0/15

    74

    Game score

  2. 1975Week 3

    Penn State at Ohio State

    Penn State 9, Ohio State 17

    Winner: Ohio State

    No. 7 Penn State vs. No. 3 Ohio State · 8-point margin

    Ranking 42/50 · Closeness 27/35 · Overtime 0/15

    69

    Game score

  3. 1976Week 3

    Ohio State at Penn State

    Ohio State 12, Penn State 7

    Winner: Ohio State

    No. 2 Ohio State vs. No. 11 Penn State · 5-point margin

    Ranking 39/50 · Closeness 30/35 · Overtime 0/15

    69

    Game score

  4. 1995Week 7

    Ohio State at Penn State

    Ohio State 28, Penn State 25

    Winner: Ohio State

    No. 5 Ohio State vs. No. 12 Penn State · 3-point margin

    Ranking 35/50 · Closeness 32/35 · Overtime 0/15

    67

    Game score

  5. 2002Week 10

    Penn State at Ohio State

    Penn State 7, Ohio State 13

    Winner: Ohio State

    No. 18 Penn State vs. No. 4 Ohio State · 6-point margin

    Ranking 30/50 · Closeness 29/35 · Overtime 0/15

    59

    Game score

  6. 1956Week 6

    Penn State at Ohio State

    Penn State 7, Ohio State 6

    Winner: Penn State

    No. 18 Penn State vs. No. 9 Ohio State · 1-point margin

    Ranking 25/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15

    59

    Game score

  7. 1998Week 6

    Penn State at Ohio State

    Penn State 9, Ohio State 28

    Winner: Ohio State

    No. 13 Penn State vs. No. 1 Ohio State · 19-point margin

    Ranking 38/50 · Closeness 16/35 · Overtime 0/15

    54

    Game score

  8. 1993Week 10

    Penn State at Ohio State

    Penn State 6, Ohio State 24

    Winner: Ohio State

    No. 12 Penn State vs. No. 3 Ohio State · 18-point margin

    Ranking 37/50 · Closeness 17/35 · Overtime 0/15

    54

    Game score

  9. 1999Week 8

    Ohio State at Penn State

    Ohio State 10, Penn State 23

    Winner: Penn State

    No. 18 Ohio State vs. No. 2 Penn State · 13-point margin

    Ranking 32/50 · Closeness 22/35 · Overtime 0/15

    54

    Game score

  10. 1980PostseasonNeutral site

    Ohio State vs. Penn State

    Ohio State 19, Penn State 31

    Winner: Penn State

    No. 11 Ohio State vs. No. 10 Penn State · 12-point margin

    Ranking 31/50 · Closeness 23/35 · Overtime 0/15

    54

    Game score

  11. 2003Week 11

    Ohio State at Penn State

    Ohio State 21, Penn State 20

    Winner: Ohio State

    No. 8 Ohio State vs. Unranked Penn State · 1-point margin

    Ranking 18/50 · Closeness 34/35 · Overtime 0/15

    52

    Game score

  12. 1996Week 7

    Penn State at Ohio State

    Penn State 7, Ohio State 38

    Winner: Ohio State

    No. 4 Penn State vs. No. 3 Ohio State · 31-point margin

    Ranking 45/50 · Closeness 4/35 · Overtime 0/15

    49

    Game score

  13. 1978Week 3

    Penn State at Ohio State

    Penn State 19, Ohio State 0

    Winner: Penn State

    No. 3 Penn State vs. No. 16 Ohio State · 19-point margin

    Ranking 33/50 · Closeness 16/35 · Overtime 0/15

    49

    Game score

Methodology

How each game earns up to 100 points

AP ranking, 50 points: each team earns 26 minus its game-time AP rank. Unranked teams receive zero.

Closeness, 35 points: the final margin is subtracted from 35, with margins of 35 or more receiving zero.

Overtime, 15 points: overtime starts at nine points and rises by two per additional period, capped at 15.

Regular-season rankings use the AP Top 25 recorded for the game's week. Postseason meetings use the final regular-season AP poll before bowl and playoff results. Games before 2005 remain in the ranking but do not link to unsupported box-score pages. Videos are matched by canonical game ID or by a rematch-safe season matchup.